# Docker client application DOCKER\_HOST settings

**URL:** <https://forums.docker.com/t/docker-client-application-docker-host-settings/15248>\
**Category:** Docker Desktop\
**Tags:** windows\
**Created:** [June 11, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/docker-client-application-docker-host-settings/15248 "2016-06-11T16:12:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pietv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pietv](https://forums.docker.com/u/pietv)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/docker-client-application-docker-host-settings/15248/1 "2016-06-11T16:12:40Z")

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I have a Docker client application which expects the Docker IP address and port in DOCKER\_HOST variable and certificates in DOCKER\_CERT\_PATH.

With Beta Docker for Windows those variables are not used anymore? What should one specify for these variables for client applications that use Docker REST API?

On Beta Docker for Mac I can use the link /var/run/docker.sock. What can I use on Windows?

EDIT: By grepping the Docker source I came across the endpoint “npipe:////./pipe/docker\_engine” which I assume I should be connecting to instead of “unix:///var/run/docker.sock”. Please, kindly confirm this.

Thank you!

### Information

- docker version  
Client:  
Version: 1.11.2  
API version: 1.23  
Go version: go1.5.4  
Git commit: b9f10c9  
Built: Wed Jun 1 21:20:08 2016  
OS/Arch: windows/amd64  
Server:  
Version: 1.11.2  
API version: 1.23  
Go version: go1.5.4  
Git commit: 56888bf  
Built: Mon Jun 6 23:57:32 2016  
OS/Arch: linux/amd64

- Windows 10

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**Author:** ![rneugeba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rneugeba](https://forums.docker.com/u/rneugeba)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/docker-client-application-docker-host-settings/15248/2 "2016-06-13T18:06:13Z")

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I can confirm that on windows the default connection point to the daemon is via the named pipe you mentioned  
rolf

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pietv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pietv](https://forums.docker.com/u/pietv)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/docker-client-application-docker-host-settings/15248/3 "2016-06-13T19:49:24Z")

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@rneugeba Thank you! Gotcha.

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**Author:** ![fifthecho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/docker/user_avatar/forums.docker.com/fifthecho/32/10897_2.png) [@fifthecho](https://forums.docker.com/u/fifthecho)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 1:48pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/docker-client-application-docker-host-settings/15248/4 "2016-06-21T13:48:51Z")

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If I set that named pipe as an environment variable (`$env:DOCKER_HOST="npipe:////./pipe/docker_engine"`) the Docker CLI continues to work, but Ruby, using [https://github.com/swipely/docker-api](https://github.com/swipely/docker-api) throws `Excon::Errors::SocketError: getaddrinfo: No such host is known. (SocketError)`

Is there a setting in Docker for Windows where I can set a localhost/MobyLinux port to listen on TCP?